Ch. 4 – You're Afraid

Hermione looked awful. Not in her usual way either, she looked beaten and exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes contrasted with her abnormally pale skin. She'd lost color and blood. Her bruises were hidden under the infirmary blankets. Her head throbbed lightly but her pain had basically numbed itself since Madam Pomfrey made her drink that horrid juice. She wasn't even sure what was in it.

Ron and Harry appeared in her vision within a few minutes of Madam Pomfrey leaving her. They both sighed deeply in unison upon seeing her. Hermione wasn't sure if that's because they were disappointed that she couldn't defend herself or because of how hurt she seemed. Surely it wasn't the latter.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked, sitting on the end of the bed.

Hermione's tongue felt thick and she took a few moments to swallow and clear her throat before croaking out, "I'm fine, just a little numb." Harry glanced at the cup and bottle at the side of her bed.

"Yeah, I guess that's the medicine." He dropped his look to the floor, suddenly looking more interested in his shoes than Hermione. She felt horrible.

Ron peeped in from outside the curtain hiding Hermione's bed from the rest of the infirmary. "You don't look so good Mione." He stated before standing over on the other side of her from Harry.

Draco didn't dare enter the make-shift room for Hermione but caught a quick look at her condition when Ron entered. She didn't look all too bad... Who was he kidding? She looked ghastly. A little upset with himself, Draco turned and left the infirmary to go...anywhere else.

Hermione closed her eyes, listening to faint hum of her own heartbeat and the irregular breathing from Ron and Harry. She opened her eyes and locked them with Ron's. "I don't feel so good, Ron."

"Shh, it's okay we're here for you." Harry assured her, cupping her cold hand in his two warm ones. Hermione gave him a lopsided half-smile.

"So, er, what exactly did Malfoy do to you?" Ron asked uneasily, unsure of whether to bring him up to her. By the heavy sigh and gaze to the floor from Hermione he instantly felt ashamed that he said anything. "Listen, I didn't mean to bring him up, I don't want-"

Hermione shook her head, "No, it's alright. I don't mind." She took a few minutes to gather her facts. "You see, he didn't really do anything bad to me."

"Course he did! That's why you're bloody in here." Ron raised his voice a little but didn't back down. He stepped closer and knelt in front of Hermione so that they were almost face to face. "I know you don't like people getting punished but Hermione he did some pretty bad stuff to you."

"He didn't do anything." Hermione countered.

"You're being delusional. He obviously did something to put you in here! Then to carry you in himself and claim to be saving you? That's a bloody lie and we all know it." Ron's anger spiked.

"Maybe this isn't the best time..." Harry's words trailed off when Hermione started coughing. He helped her calm down before pulling Ron over to the side of the room. "She needs rest, not for you to be yelling at her. If you think Malfoy did this then bring it up with McGonagall." Harry advised him.

"Are you saying you don't think he did this to her?" Ron exclaimed angrily. He frowned at his best friend. "Whose side are you on mate?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't think Hermione would lie, but I don't believe Malfoy didn't do nothing either." He was playing the role of Switzerland. His best mate was going to make Hermione cry any minute now if he didn't leave. Draco wasn't a knight in shining armor and if Ron wasn't going to bring this up with someone then Harry would.

"Alright," Ron huffed. "Fine I see how it is." He turned his attention to Hermione now. "Do you see what you're doing? Poor Harry here doesn't know who to believe in. You've put Malfoy, that little creep, in between best mates. You did this Hermione. It's all your fault. If you hadn't been so defenseless and lonely then maybe you'd have some real friends." Ron shook his head at her and stormed out before Harry could chastise him.

Hermione wasn't pissed off like Ron however, she was more depressed and upset thanks to his little ramble. Tears welled up in her eyes. Harry couldn't think of any comforting words, he knew she wouldn't listen anyway so instead he left to find some tissues.

She took a few and dabbed her eyes with them, glad she didn't wear make-up that could be ruined by the waterfall coming from her eyes. She was gross. Hermione felt herself becoming more unstable and sick. She tried to stop the sobs and coughs erupting from her body. It took her a minute to gain control of herself before she turned to Harry. To her surprise he remained sitting at the end of her bed, watching her closely.

"Do you need more?" He asked, a little afraid she might break down again, no thanks to Ron being a smart ass.

"N-n-no." She choked out, clearing her throat before speaking to him again. "I'm fine."

"So, do you know if you'll be out of here tomorrow? We have classes again." Harry dreaded going to Potions but put the thought in the back of his mind.

"I think so... Madam Pomfrey mentioned I'd be leaving here tomorrow, except I don't recall when." Hermione twiddled a clean tissue in her fingers before setting it on the bedside table.

"Well, Gryffindor has a game with Slytherin coming up. I think it's next weekend but I'm not entirely sure." Harry stated, trying to shift the uncomfortable conversation.

"I guess I'll try and go; your team is doing really well." Hermione commented, unsure of what else to say. She liked Quidditch but since she didn't play she was limited in conversations.

"That'd be nice." The silence dragged on before Madam Pomfrey entered the curtained room to see how Hermione was doing.

"I think it'd be best if I went now, see you later Mione," Harry waved weakly before leaving the infirmary and heading out to make things up with Ron.

Ron slumped back against the sofa in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. He was a little upset with himself for taking out his anger with Lavender with Hermione. That was just mean. He ran a hand through his ginger hair and sighed deeply.

Harry entered the common room and searched for a familiar face, finding him sitting on a sofa. He joined him and neither of them said anything for minutes.

"Listen, Harry-"

"Er, Ron-"

Both of them smiled and tried to let the other talk first, because talking at the same time clearly wasn't working.

"Harry, I really hope I didn't screw things up with Hermione. I was being stupid is all and I really wish I could take it back. Do you think she'd forgive me if I apologized?" Ron blurted.

"Honestly? I have absolutely no idea. She kind of had a breakdown when you left."

"Oh," If Ron had weighed the guilt pressing down on him he'd probably have tons.

"It wouldn't hurt to apologize though," Harry gave Ron a pat on the back with a lopsided smile.

Ron pressed his lips together, "Thanks, mate."

"It's nothing," Harry claimed, he sat back and crossed his ankles on the table in front of them.

"No, really, I mean I wasn't entirely fair to you either. Sorry about that." He looked down at his beat up sneakers and ran a hand through his hair again, nervously.

"Not a problem." Harry adjusted his glasses. He sat up a few moments later and said goodnight to Ron before going up to his bed to finish a Potions paper due tomorrow.

Hermione awoke to see Madam Pomfrey holding a small cup of dark liquid. She grimaced but took the medicine and downed it fast, swallowing before she could spit it back up. Hermione remained sitting up and noticed that her head didn't hurt as much and the dark bruises surrounding her torso, legs and arms were almost gone. There were no remains of any cuts, except for one. Hermione's right index finger was wrapped and had a splint on it. She remembered that Pansy had shoved a twig through her finger horizontally. It had been a pain then but was barely above sore now.

Amazed at how much her body had improved Hermione thanked the nurse before gathering her things and heading over to the Gryffindor commons to shower and change for class. Hermione decided since she was already late to class and had an excuse that she'd put herself together with a bit more effort.

She dabbed on some mascara and combed through her hair carefully so the curls wouldn't frizz up. Her hair was still wet so she twisted it up into a bun, Hermione finished getting dressed before she took the bun out, revealing controlled wavy brown hair that fell just below her shoulders.

In the mirror, Hermione reflected a crooked grin and set off to her third class with the proper books. Through the busy halls Hermione limped slightly from her ankles still healing from former burns. Aside from that and the lightly colored bruises and splinted finger you wouldn't be able to tell that Hermione had been severely injured twelve hours ago.

After two more classes Hermione was able to attend lunch, she grabbed a sandwich and headed outside to eat. Sitting under a tree near the lake, she settled down with the rest of her sandwich that she hadn't eaten on the walk there and opened her textbook to review the lesson the class had just learned.

Draco left lunch early, annoyed at Pansy's constant gloating about how she'd put Hermione Granger in the clinic. He found himself walking near the lake and noticed a little bookworm sitting peacefully under a big oak tree. Draco took it upon himself to ruin her peace. He smirked and casually approached Hermione.

"So, Granger, is this where the bookworm species migrated to?" She glanced up at his remark then scowled before continuing to read. "Well it's not very pretty. Kind of suits you actually..." Draco rambled on until Hermione closed the book shut and stood up.

"I get enough clever commentaries nearly everyone at Hogwarts and I would really love if you would just stop it." She gave him a stern glare before trying to walk past him.

Draco actually thought her bravery was cute. Not that he'd ever admit that.

Instead Malfoy grabbed the book and tossed it to the ground, he took her shoulders in his hands and pressed her up against the bark of the giant oak. "You can't tell me what to do, you idiotic girl."

Hermione was shocked at first by his touched then mesmerized by Draco's silver eyes... She shook her head mentally and attempted to look unaffected by his closeness. "Clearly you're confused. Anyone can tell you what to do. It's up to you to listen." Damn, she'd had Draco there. He let go of her but didn't step back.

"You just think you're so bloody smart, huh, Granger? You think you know bloody everything, don't you?" She bit her lip, choosing not to respond with one of the many insults she had for him. "That's right, shut your mouth and be careful who you talk back to next time. Maybe they won't be as nice as I am."

Hermione couldn't hold in her anger anymore. Malfoy was just pissing her off, but what everyone else had put her through lately was pushing her over the edge. "Listen here you ignorant fool," Hermione addressed him, stepping forward, making him cringe back. "You are most definitely not nice! I can say and do anything I want to and no bloody person is going to step in my way. I make my own decisions here!" Her bandaged finger was pointing in his face.

Draco lowered it, an image of broken Hermione in his arms on the way to the infirmary flashed in his mind. He ignored the memory. "I am nice Granger. You sit here alone, but that's not that only time. Your best mates barely acknowledge you at all and no one else at the school seems to think you're worth more than a broken pencil. I am nice enough to talk to you every day."

"Excuse me? Since when does mocking someone and telling them that they're ugly count as being nice to them?" Hermione retorted. She was furious at the world and those intensifying silver eyes weren't doing much to slow her heart rate. Why was she feeling like this toward him now?

"I don't care what you think of my efforts, mudblood, all I care about is that Pansy Parkinson gets the hell away from me. I care about pleasing my father and winning the Quidditch champs. That's it." Malfoy was running low on remarks and clever tricks. She was cornering him verbally.

"That's what this whole act is about?" Hermione exclaimed, a false smile playing on her lips. "You think being a smart ass and bullying everyone will put you on top, making your father proud. Well I hope you realize that it doesn't."

"This 'act' is not about that at all." Draco said through gritted teeth.

"Well it's obviously not you being nice, or friendly, or even to avoid Pansy." Hermione was frustrated that this argument was going nowhere. She had classes to be in. "I'm leaving now because this is pointless and I'm not in the mood to be late to class."

"Class sucks." Draco shrugged off her comment.

"No it doesn't." Hermione countered.

"Yeah it does, especially for you."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're Hermione Granger, which means people prank you, tease you, and mock you endlessly. Class is just a way for a group of people to sit in one room with you and do it together." He said matter-of-factly.

"You're wrong, that's not what happens."

"I'm not wrong, and you know it. I'm in your potions class; I know what happens. Basically, everyone hates you." Malfoy said.

"Not true." Hermione reasoned, "Not everyone hates me."

"Sure, because they all love you right?"

"You're really starting to annoy me." She sighed.

Draco gazed into her beautiful brown eyes, then snapped out of it, "So do something about it."

Hermione gave him a once-over, one because she knew deep down she found him attractive and two because she needed to analyze the situation. "No."

"You're afraid." He concluded.

"I am not." Hermione responded, clearly annoyed by his childish games.

Draco smirked. "Prove it."

Did she ever! Hermione balled up her fist and aimed directly for his nose, hoping to break it again like she did a few years ago. Except before her fist could connect with his pretty face, he deflected it and pressed his lips to hers.

Surprisingly the kiss was sweet, but short-lived. Hermione managed to save some dignity and break away, placing a fake look of disgust on her face before storming off. Malfoy however leaned against the side of the oak, watching her walk off with a smile.

Hermione could hardly go to class now. She was too overwhelmed by that kiss. She had kissed Draco Malfoy. Her! Hermione Granger. Instead of going to Potions, which was absolutely the last place she'd go due to the fact that he was in that class, she went to the open grounds in between upper class buildings. Leaning against a tree that was easily hidden Hermione's heart leapt. Her brain worked over time trying to make sense of what had just happened.